Retail operations rely on a variety of means to efficiently display products to consumers. One aspect of display of products is maximizing the surface area used for either product display or advertisement in a given volume of store space. For example, stores often place shelves in aisle formations configured to increase the available display area. Also, the shelves are often at least the height of a person and extend up to an upward pointy corresponding to at least the average person's reach, also maximizing the display area for products in a given space for viewing by customers.
Another related concern in retail operations is the removal of products by customers and the unused space left behind. A common solution is to stack additional copies of a product behind the original, often with a system that provides for products to move forward automatically as products are taken from the front of the display. To hold a more substantial number of products, the displays must be constructed with greater depth.
The depth of the display racks creates an unused additional lateral area on the sides of the racks that retailers can utilize. Referring to FIG. 12, usually, display racks 101 each having two opposing lateral sides 102 are arranged side by side and back to back so as to define aisles 103 toward which product display and access faces 104 are disposed. In such a configuration of aisle units 101, the lateral sides 102 of only the last aisle units 101 are exposed.
One solution to the exposed ends of the racks 101 at the end of the aisles 103 is to use the entire lateral area as advertising space. Although this may provide effective advertisement delivery, it is often less important for a retailer to display advertising in a store than to display additional products. Another solution is to stock additional products across the lateral area in an end unit 105 as seen in FIG. 10, with an outward facing product display and access surface 111. Unfortunately, the depth of the end unit rack 105 leaves it with its own exposed lateral surfaces 109, and together with the exposed portions of lateral sides 102 of the last two aisle units 101, defines a wasted corner space 107 on both sides of the end unit 105. This wasted lateral corner area may be reduced by the use of smaller racks having less depth, but a problem remains of how to effectively use the remaining corner area.
In addition, the exposed sides of the aisle and end units 101 and 105 are to a degree exposed to a risk of impact by shopping carts, that might damage por dislodge the units or products on them.